La Chiesola

Overview

La Chiesola is a Category 1 climb that asks for genuine respect. Over 11.5 km it averages 6.58%, lifting you from a start elevation of 903 m to a summit at 1657 m. That is a net gain of 754 m, with 735 m of total ascent packed into a road that rarely lets you settle. The average gradient looks civilised on paper, but the max of 16.95% tells the real story: this is a climb with teeth, and the smooth 6.58% mean hides ramps that force you well out of your comfort zone.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The gap between the 6.58% average and the 16.95% maximum is the number to hold in your head. A steady-state climb of this length would tick along near its average the whole way, but La Chiesola instead trades gentler stretches for sharp, punishing kicks. Expect the gradient to swing above and below the mean repeatedly, so the effort you feel is far more variable than a single percentage suggests. With 754 m of net gain over 11.5 km, the road is relentlessly upward — there is no meaningful descent to recover on. When a pitch nears that 16.95% wall, your speed drops, your cadence collapses, and the metres tick by slowly. The smart approach is to read the road ahead and spend your matches on the steep ramps rather than the shallower connectors.

Pacing Notes

Pace this climb by effort, not by feel on the opening ramps. At 11.5 km it is long enough that going into the red early will cost you dearly near the top. Anchor your effort to your FTP: on the sustained sections, sit just under threshold, and accept that the 16.95% pitches will briefly push you above it — that is unavoidable on a climb this steep. The goal is to keep those surges short and recover on the softer gradients. If you are unsure of your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target power. With 754 m to gain, a rider who paces evenly across the 6.58% average will almost always beat one who attacks the first slopes and fades.

Gearing

Gear for the ramps, not the average. A 6.58% mean is manageable on most setups, but the 16.95% max is what dictates your smallest gear. On a compact chainring, a 34×32 is the sensible baseline for a fit rider who can hold a strong cadence, and it will get most riders up the steepest pitches without grinding to a standstill. If you weigh more, ride at a lower threshold, or simply want to protect your knees over the full 11.5 km, step up to a 34×34 — the extra range keeps your cadence alive when the gradient bites and turns those 16.95% walls from a survival exercise into a rhythm you can sustain.

Summary

La Chiesola rewards patience and punishes bravado. Respect the 16.95% ramps, pace to your threshold across the 6.58% average, and gear low enough to spin the whole 754 m of climbing rather than muscle it.

Length: 11.5 km
Average gradient: 6.58%
Max gradient: 16.95%
Start: 903 m
Summit: 1657 m
Net gain: 754 m
Total ascent: 735 m
Category: 1